Improvement in locks



I.GWYNN.

/fm fw Uivrrnn N STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GWYNN, OF lADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 149,856, datedv April 2l, 1374; application iiled January '7, 1874.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES GWYNN, of Budlong street, Adrian, county of Lenawee,State of Michigan, have invented a Combination Lever-Lock, of which the .following is a speciiication:

My invention relates to that class of combination-locks in which a seriesof pivoted levers must be brought into a certain position before the key can be turned and the bolt moved; and the nature of my invention consists in a series ofpeculiarly-shaped levers placed in a case of any suitable shape or size, a portion or all of which turn upon movable bearings operated into many positions by one ormore eccentrics,which are so arranged that in every position, save, one, that they assume the levers will prevent the bolt from being operated, but in that one position of the eccentric or eccentrics the levers may be so lifted or depressed by the key as to allow the bolt to act.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Figure l is a front view of a part of the lock-face. Fig. 2 is an interior view of the lock. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same through the line w w, Fig. `2. Fig. 4. shows the construction of the eccentric when only one is used. Fig. 5 shows a portion of the inside of the lockbox. Fig. Gis a longitudinaly section of two levers` attached together. Fig. 7' isV a view of a lever having two` bearings. Fig. 8 is a view of a lever having only one bearing. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 show modifications of the lock, all of which will be hereinafter described.

A represents the lock-box, with'back plate D, and bolt B inside of the same. The bolt is guided by means of a slot and screw, as shown in Fig. 2, or other suitable devices, so as to be moved at all times on astraight line. Through the bolt B passes two pins, cl d, at any desired points, and extending on both sides of the same. These pins are to enter slots inthe levers L M N O. The levers are constructed substantially in the form shown in Figs. 2, 7, and 8, and each lever is at each end provided with two curved slots, f f, running transversely, and connected at a suitable point by a straight slot, e.

In the form of lock shown in the main part of the drawing I have represented two levers between the bolt and the front of the lockcase, and two levers between ythe bolt and the i back plate. The former two of these` levers are operated by an eccentric in thel following manner: C represents a gured or vnumbered disk, knob, `or its equivalent, attached to a central shank` or stem, JL, which is passed through a hole, t', in the front of the lock-case, and within the lock-case an eccentric, E, is securely fastened to said shank or stem., The eccentric Eis fitted into and moves a plate, P, which is provided with a pin, a. This pin enters a hole, a', in the first lever L. (Shown in Fig. 7.) The plate Pis also provided on its other side with a suitable pin to enter a slot, s, and thereby guide the movement of the plate. It will readily be seen that by turning the dial-plate C the eccentric E is turned, causing the plate Pto move up and down, and by the motion thus impartedl to the pin a it will carry the bearing of its dependent lever, L, with it. This bearing is at or near the center of the lever, and at a suitable distance from the said bearing is a pin, b, which furnishes a bearing for the second lever FM,

(shown in Fig. 8,) which thus becomes dependent for the position of Vits bearing upon the movements of thev iirst lever L. The other two levers, N and 0, on the other side of the bolt are arranged Ainthe same mannen-one, O., having its bearing in the back plate D, and the other, N, in the lever O, and both to be operated by the wards of the key without the use of an eccentric; but it is evident that these latter levers may be dispensed with, or all arranged to be operated upon by the movement of the eccentric, no matter how many levers are used; or the eccentricvmay be dispensed with and the levers operated by a key only.

In Figs. 9, 10, and l1 I have shown a modiiication employing a seriesfof dial-disks and eccentrics to produce moving bearings for the levers. The eccentricsl are graduated in the form of hollow cylinders, slipping into each other, the center one being solid, and each provided on the outside of the lock with dial disks or rings of graduated sizes, lyingv upon each other, as shown in Fig. 9. That part -of each eccentric which is inside of the lock vis fitted into and forms a bearing for one or more levers, said bearing being near the center of the lever; and when any one eccentric projects far enough beyond its adjoining one to form a bearing for more than one lever, the said eccentric may be so shaped as to form a moving bearing for one of the levers, and a true or stationary bearing for others.

It will be evident that any one of the dials in the combination movement being turned will rotate the eccentric attached to it, and that such eccentric, by its rotation in the lever of which it forms the bearing, will cause the center of said lever to assume all the various positions corresponding to the circle described by the eccentric.

In Fig. l2 I have shown another modification. To one dial is affixed a shaft, which is fitted through the face and into the back of the lock. This shaft is so shaped that a part ot" it revolves in a trueline on its center, while the other partthereof forms an eccentric. This shaft furnishes the bearings for several levers, and when it is rotated by the dial some of the said levers will have their bearings true or stationary, and theV remainder will have thcirbearings moved to every position which the eccentric assumes. Inl cases where the lock is set into mortiscs the shaft lof the dial will extend' through the case, and another dial upon the 4other end of the shaft,so as to set the eccentric from either side of the lock. The various levers should be held at one or both ends by suitable springs. I may construct my lock without a keyhhole, using instead a spindle with key-bit thereon attached to the lock, and adjusted by a screwed rose or washer, and turned by a knob, which willact as a key.

The operation of my lock is as follows: The dial or dials C must be rotated until a certain number or figure on each of them points to a mark on the face ofthe lock, by which means the eccentrics will move the bearings of the levers dependent on them into such positions that when the key is inserted in the lock and turned in the usual manner the wards thereon will'lift (or depress) the levers into such position that all the straight slots e in the levers will be on a linewith the pins d inthe bolt, and thus allow the vsame to be moved by the key; but until the moving bearings of the levers are placed in their right positions it is impossible to so place the levers that the bolt of the lock can pass them. When the moving bearing of any lever is not in the right place y for its lever to act, if one end of said lever be lifted, so that its horizontal slot e is opposite the corresponding pin d in the bolt, the horizontal slot at the other end of the lever must be higher or lower than the pin on that end ofthe bolt, aud therefore will prevent the bolt from passing. This peculiar action of the levers renders the lock very secure.

I am well aware that levers turning upon stationary bearings, and which operate on a pin in bolt by one set of slots, are not new; and I do not, therefore, claim such as being my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a lock, a series of two or more levers, each provided at each end with slots for the reception of pins on the bolt, one or more of said levers turning upon a movable bearing arranged near its center, the'remainderof the levers turning upon stationary bearings, substantially as shown and described. Y 2. In a combination-lock, a series of two or more levers pivoted the one upon the other, the irst of the series being pivoted upon the plate I), said plate being operated by means of an eccentric, E, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. Y 3. In a lock, a series of levers, each provided at each end with two curved slots, f, connected by a straight slot, E, in combination with a bolt provided with pins d d, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a lock, a 'lever having slots at each end, and connected with another lever of like shape by pin b, placed near the center of the lever,`substantially as shown and described.

5. In a lock, an eccentric operating a series of lever-bearings, in combination with aidial for setting the eccentric in proper position, substantially as shown and described.

JAMES GVYNN, Vitnesses CLARK RAYMOND, f

SAMUEL DUNKIN MOKENZIE. 

